Door slab does not match standard measurements

Hello everyone,

I am trying to replace a 6 panel slab door in my apartment and the measurements for width and length I have on the existing door are 33 6/8" x 79 7/8". I have measured the door a hundred times to make sure I am correct. The length does not matter much as there is enough space on the bottom of the door opening to fit the remaining 1/8th of an inch. My big problem comes from the 33 6/8", as this measurement doesn't come even close to the 32" or 36" standard measurement. What am I supposed to do in this case? Do I have home depot custom make a door slab to fit these measurements? Will the cost of a custom made slab increase greatly from a store stock?

I also have the measurements from the top of the door to the door knob and the measurements from the top to all three hinge positions, I just don't think its as important as the main measurement at this moment.

Maybe you already found your door but we recently had the same problem. Rather than over paying for a new custom door, we went down the road of finding a salvaged door that had charm and was well made for a fraction of the price. We live in New York so are fortunate to be able to go to a number of places that salvage items. We ended up getting a hallway door and a closet door (both odd sizes as the house is 100 years old) from a place called Demolition Depot. Now to hang it...

Actually, a 2/10 (34") hollow core 6-panel door is not as uncommon as some would think. The distributor that supplies your local Home Depot should have a few of them in stock, so it should not be out of a normal special order lead time (7-10 days) and should not cost you more than ordering a 3/00 (36") door with the same specifications. You cannot trim a 36" hollow core door down to a 34" door without cutting into the core of the door.

For the lockset bore location, it is easier to measure down the edge of the door to the center of the latch. That way you don't have to guess with a tape measure that is leaning 3"-4" away from the face of the door (avoiding the knob). 40" and 44" from the top to the center are the most common measurements. The hinges should be measured from the top of the door to the top of each hinge. There a three radii that are most common for hinges; square, 1/4" and 5/8". Square is self-explanatory. 1/4" looks more like a dime and 5/8" looks more like a quarter.

You will also need to tell the store what side of the door the hinges are on. The most effective way is to close the door and stand on the side of the door where you can see the hinges. Inside or outside of the room does not matter with interior doors. Draw a picture of where the hinges are when the door is closed, label which way the door swings open, and take that to the store.

Replacing the door is easy. Simply remove the hinge pins of the existing door to take the door down. Do not remove the hinge leaf that is on your jamb. Take the hinge leaf off the existing door and screw them to the new door. Place the new door in the opening, aligning the hinges, and replace the hinge pins starting from the top.

Finally, when painting the door, please make sure you paint/seal all 6 sides; top, bottom, both edges and both faces. Your door will be sealed from taking on moisture and will not warp, bow or delaminate under normal conditions if you do this. This will be required by your new door's warranty.

I actually work in the door & window department at the Home Depot in the Chicagoland area. I will assume that this door is either from a bathroom or bedroom, and not the exit door that leads to the communal hallway.

The doors that we sell are all 80" high, the width will range from 18" wide to 36", and are 1-3/8" thick. It sounds like you need a custom sized door, or door wider than your current, so 34" would be the one. A 34" door is not a standard size in stock, and if you were purchase a 36" door and attempt to cut it length-wise it would require more work, and cause more headaches, than I would want myself, and I have all tools to do it.

So my recommendation to you would be to take all your measurements to your local Home Depot, see the Door & Window specialist, and have them order you a door that will fit perfectly, and it should take between 7-14 days to get it, and yes the door will cost you more, but the time & frustration it takes to cutting & install a slab door isn't worth it unless you were just trimming a 1/4" off.

When measuring for the door knob location, the standard measurement is 44" from the top of the door to the center of the hole on the surface not the edge. The mortising of the hinges are measured the same way--from of the top of the door to the top of each hinge, and make sure to include the size of the hinge--are they 3-1/2" or 4", do they have a corner or a radius. All of this info is important when placing the order, and making your install go quickly & smoothly.

Let me know what you decide, or if you have any other questions. Please post pictures of your project.

Welcome to the community.
As you suspected, you will have to special order your door.

Often times an architect will specify a specific door for a room
to maximize space or access.

If the builder is constructing a large tract of homes, the
additional cost of this special size door can be spread over many units. But replacing them one at a time can be expensive.

There are several options. You can order a slap door and hang
it yourself, or you can order a prehung door and install the entire unit. Also you
may be able to modify the opening if is not a load bearing wall, and use a
larger door. Call your local Home Depot’s Millworks Department. They can give you
an estimate on the cost of each of these options.